Helical linear reactance



June 3, 1952 R. D. REED 2,599,126

HELICAL LINEAR REACTANCE Filed Feb. 26, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTCI R N EYE June 3, 1952 R. D. REED HELICAL LINEAR REACTANCE Filed Feb. 2e, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 .mEME-IEMTIEH f- @is t A INVENTOR. fv/fzfi/ee A-FT R N EYS June 3, 1952 R, D, REED 2,599,126

HELICAL LINEAR REACTANCE Filed Feb. 26, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I N VEN TOR.

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1 igure, 1 @m2,- wherevthenrsp forni. the mventin illustra d emplqm a, apbse Lv a tubular ylindr; o `nsjulrp Hed or. nml-emanating, material 'adndr pro ded,` 4with a. suitablab V[liton A support 2. The exterior periphery of thgrrcylpl cle,rgbhgseyisV fashioned with a par'or; hlal y91nd par lel` grooyesl, 3v, that', are. adptedxo receive" and retain an intgralftifack aornposedn'ffpaizalle,1vY helical virtepA on conducjzors. lL-'alldl'r spafedgi onmum distapcelaprt, amd.,l short;k Circuitediiat o 'rxeY end-b asf'byiga, retaipningpinil. t0 provide. dagnerrdfor.the.namllelcnnducmrs."

A13; tha,4 Qppotejor.. lower, ehdjo the? track able connector, short cirouiting bar, or movable contact, which is here shown as a roller or wheel W, having an exterior annular and rounded ange 9. The flange 9 is held in between the two parallel conductors of the track as the wheel revolves around the base and the flange retains the wheel against displacement as it travels spirally in a vertical plane; while the wheel thus supported rotates with its annular periphery in constant frictional and electrical contact with the two parallel conductors. As the rotating wheel'revolves around the base it provides a moving contact member, supported between the conductors, and it provides a short circuit across the exterior surface of the wheel in contact with the exterior surfaces of the two.conductors forming the supporting and guiding track.

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between the conductors of the track, and the The wheel travels upwardly around the helical Y track on the base, and for guiding its movement in a vertical plane, the wheel is slidably journaled by its bearing hub I upon a rod I I having stop nuts I2 threaded thereon at itslower end. This depending rod is swiveled or pivotally mounted at the longitudinal axis of the helical track; to carry the wheel around the track, and means are provided for retaining the rod in operative relation to the track, and for retaining the wheel or roller in constant frictional and electrical Contact with its track.

For this purpose, the removable head I3 of the tubular cylindrical base, is equipped with a centra1 upright operating or power shaft I4 that is journaled in a bearing bushing I5 which is coupled by nut I6 in the cylinder head, and a radially extending horizontal operating arm II is mounted on the shaft by its head I8, a set screw I9 being employed for securing the arm in adjusted position on its shaft.

The outer free end of the arm is longitudinally slotted at to receive and retain the upper end of the rod II which merges with a resilient inf verted U-shaped bow or arch 2|, and this bow terminates in an attaching end 22 that is mounted rigidly in a hole drilled in the arm and fastened thereto by a pair of lock nuts 23 and 24. f

A coiled spring 25 is stretched across the bow or arch of the rod with its opposite ends anchored to the rod and the attaching end of the rod, and under tension the spring retains the wheel or roller in frictional and electrical contact with the conductors forming the track.

Various changes and alterations may be made in the parallelhelical conductors forming -the track, as for instance in Fig. 3, the track may consist of a coaxial cable 26 encased within va wrapper 21 that is exteriorly slotted to :accommodate the periphery of the rotor or wheel vW.

In Figs. 4 and 5, a further' modified form 'of the track is illustrated as two twisted conductors'28 and 29.

In Fig. 6 the use of multiple` vertically spaced tracks are located withinthe interior of a cylindrical drum or tubular base, and multiple circuit closing wheels are revolved within the' tubular base for co-action with the track. As here shown the revolving rod II is distended by its resilient yoke 2|v to hold the three wheels W in frictlonal and electrical contact with the respective conductors of the three tracks 30', 3|, and 32, that are embedded inthe interior grooves of the tubular base, or in its inner lining 33.

Inv the modified form shown in Fig.V 8, theibase or support for the track is showninthe'formlot a-flat slab 34 having rounded ends, and exterior grooves in which the 'spaced conductors "4 and 5 'contact with'the conductors, with its hub wheel revolves with its periphery in electrical I0 slidably journaled upon a radially extending operating rod or arm 4I having a head 42 on its free outer end.

The inner end of the operating rod is provided with a head 43 mounted upon the upright operating shaft 44 that is journaled in bearingsv 45 of the base '35, and a holding down spring 46 is positioned'about the shaft and interposed'between a collar- 41 and the head 43, to retain the rod 4I in depressed position with the wheel resiliently held in frictional and electrical contact with its track.

In the design shown in Figure 11 the arm or rod and wheel are similar to the arm and wheel of the design shown in Fig. 9, and the parts are mounted on a similar post or vertical shaft on a similar base. The track, however, is positioned opposite to the track shown in Fig. 9 wherein the conductors 36a and 31a are connected at the outer end of the coil on the post 38a, and the terminals 39a and 40a are positioned at the center. With the terminals Vpositioned in the center the unit can be constructed to have a straight line frequency turning curve which would be very advantageous particularly on the very high frequencies. l

The invention, is therefore, an improved method of obtaining a wide range of frequencies for use in an oscillatory circuit for radio transmission and reception using a reactance having an inductance winding including a plurality of parallel wires connected eiectively for R. F. at one end with the other end having independent terminals and with the wires provided with a traveling short.

v cylindrical wall of non-rconductive material, a Y pair of .spaced conductors positioned in spaced relation ,around the cylindrical wall, said conductors connected together at yone end of the cylindrical wall, terminals on the opposite end of the cylindrical wall with each conductor of the pair connectedto a terminal, a shaft journaled in one end of the cylinder, an arm carried by the said shaft, a rod carried by the arm and extended along the surface of the cylinder, spaced from the surface of the cylinder and parallel thereto,l and a Iwheel freely rotatable on said rod and positioned to contact bothv conductors of the pair providing a traveling bridge forconnecting the conductors at varying distances from the said terminals. 1

2. A helical linear reactance comprising a cylindrical wall of non-conductive material, a pair of spaced conductors positioned in spaced relation around the cylindrical Wallsaid con-C, ductors connected together at one end oi'l'the' cylindrical wall, terminals on the oppositi'end of the cylindrical Wall with each conductor of the pair connected to a terminal, a shaft journaled in one end of the cylinder, an arm carried by the said shaft, a rod carried by the arm and extended along the surface of the cylinder, spaced from the surface of the cylinder and parallel thereto, a Wheel freely rotatable on said rod and positioned to contact both conductors of the pair providing a traveling bridge for connecting the conductors at varying distances from the said terminals, and means resiliently urging the said wheel into contact with the said conductors.

3. A helical linear .reactance comprising a cylindrical Wall of non-conductive material, pairs of spaced conductors positioned in aligned coils around the cylindrical Wall, the conductors of each of said pairs being connected at one end and having terminals on the opposite ends, an arm pivotally mounted in one end of the cylinder, a rod carried by the arm, said rod extended along, spaced from and parallel to the surface of the cylinder, Wheels positioned to correspond with the coils, mounted on and rotatable on said rod, said wheels positioned to contact the conductors of the pairs, respectively, providing traveling bridges for connecting the conductors at varying distances from the termina-ls of the coils.

ROLAND D. REED.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 916,541 Eastham Mar. 30, 1909 1,911,980 Vance Mar. 30, 1933 2,051,520 Evans Aug. 18, 1936 2,126,541 DeForest Aug. 9, 1938 2,238,420 Johnson Apr. 15, 1941 2,260,877 Ware Oct. 28, 1941 2,295,348 Leach Sept. 8, 1942 2,367,922 Bock Jan. 23, 1945 2,405,890 Kunz Aug. 13, 1946 2,471,777 Reinartz May 3l, 1949 

